Honouring President and Professor Emeriti

A message from Vicky Paine-Mantha, president and vice-chancellor (interim):Nipissing University will honour five familiar and inspiring individuals during this year’s convocation ceremonies: Dr. Dave Marshall will receive the designation President Emeritus, while Dr. Helen Langford, Professor Jack Jones, Dr. Keith Topps and Professor Stan Lawlor will receive the designation Professor Emerita/Emeritus.
Please join me in offering congratulations to these wonderful people who exemplify the very best qualities of this university.Convocation takes place June 13, 14 and 15 in North Bay;
and on June 19 in Brantford.
Marshall will be designated President Emeritus on June 13 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony. He served as Nipissing’s president from 1990 – 2003, and was instrumental in Nipissing receiving its charter as an independent  degree-granting institution in 1992. Prior to his term as president, Marshall was the Dean of Education at Nipissing from 1985 – 2003. He is the namesake for the annual Dave Marshall Leadership Awards.  In 2011, he retired as 8th President of Mount Royal University where he also led the institution to receive degree granting status.
This is the second President Emeritus designation in Nipissing University’s history.  Dr. George Zytaruk, Nipissing’s first president was awarded the designation in 2011.
Langford will receive the Professor Emerita designation on June 13 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.  She came to Nipissing in 1992 as an assistant professor in the faculty of education. While teaching at Nipissing, Langford twice received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her work with Dr. Elizabeth Thorn helped to make Nipissing the primary destination for students wanting to teach in the early grades. Langford co-authored the Irwin Writing Project, sharing her insights into the writing process and ways to incorporate writing into Grades 4, 5 and 6 classrooms.
Jones will receive the Professor Emeritus designation on June 14 at the 2 p.m. ceremony.  A Nipissing alumnus, he served Nipissing for 27 years, initially teaching curriculum studies, sociology of education, and geography and history electives in the faculty of education.  In 2002, he became the director of the office of instructional support and technology mediated learning (the precursor of the centre for flexible teaching and learning).  Jones was the senate speaker for 17 years.  He is the founding director of the Northern Ontario Principal’s Academy.  Jones authored a submission to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for a teacher’s education program in Anguilla, which was Nipissing’s first successful CIDA contract; he assumed title of project director to oversee its implementation.  He was the Co-Chair of the Ministry of Education’s Learning Opportunities Task Force. Jones received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1997, and was recognized with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999 for his lifelong contribution to the education community.
Topps will receive the Professor Emeritus designation on June 14 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.  His 38 years of service to Nipissing University began in 1975, when he joined the faculty of arts and science as an assistant professor of geography, teaching soils, climate and biogeography. Topps served as the first Chair of the science and geography department. With his colleagues, Dr. Anthony Blackbourn and Dr. Roman Brozowski, Topps was instrumental in Nipissing’s 1991 receipt and implementation of a multi-year $1.3 million grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for environmental education in St. Lucia. In 2007, he wrote and self-published the book An Introduction to Soil Science: Concepts and Methods for Environmental Science, which was the cornerstone for his soil science classes.
Lawlor will receive the professor emeritus designation on June 15 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.  One of the original seven faculty members at Nipissing (known as the Group of Seven), Lawlor began his 39-year career at Nipissing in 1967 as an assistant professor of sociology.  He was the coach of Nipissing’s first hockey team, The Nipissing Knights, which enjoyed an undefeated season in its inaugural year. Lawlor also served as faculty advisor for the students’ council, president of Nipissing’s Faculty Association, was Nipissing’s OCUFA representative for two years, and Chair of Nipissing College Student Awards Committee for five years.  From 1984 – 1994, Lawlor was Mayor of North Bay, a role that helped encourage a symbiotic town/gown relationship between the university and the city.
Click here to see Nipissing’s policy regarding the designation of emeritus/emeriti.